Darkness & Light
by justanoutlaw
Summary: Snow, Ruby and David teamed up with Maleficent to protect their children all those years ago, but both parties were separated with their children. When Maleficent seeks revenge, it's up to them to prove it's against the wrong people.
1. Desperate

JustMeAndMyKeyboard sent me a prompt containing the phrase _"If you don't give us back our babies (or kids, pups, whatever you choose) you'll be leaving here crawling from two broken legs."_ I've decided to use this as an opportunity to fix the 4B situation.

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 _31 years ago…_

Snow, David and Red weren't sure what to do. They had just spent years battling two villains, how were they expected to side with another? However, Red and Snow were able to look past the dragon, as mothers. Neither of them were perfect and a few people didn't trust Red's ability to raise a child since she was a wolf. They couldn't potentially harm Maleficent's child, just to get rid of darkness that could be inside their daughter's soul. They had to trust that they would raise her properly, to be the light that their kingdom needed. With Maleficent's help, they could stop Regina.

David realized it was the right thing in time. While he didn't always agree with Maleficent's tactics, she was a strong fighter and had worked along side Regina in the past. They were all just parents, desperately trying to save their children.

Maleficent found one thing that could potentially stop the curse. She was hesitant to leave her egg while she did, but trusted the trio to guard it. As they watched her fly away, they stood around it, their hands ready to draw their weapons if necessary.

There was a sudden burst of light and Blue appeared in the cave. She had a disapproving look on her face. "Just what are the three of you doing?" She asked.

"We're protecting Maleficent's egg," David said. "She's found a way to stop the curse. Regina won't win, it's perfect."

To their surprise, Blue's frown stayed in place. She let out a tiny sigh.

"I want the curse to be stopped as much as the three of you," she said. "However, this is not a risk we can take. I thought the Author spoke to you, if you transfer your daughter's darkness to Maleficent's child…"

"That's not what a hero does," Snow interrupted. "That isn't right."

"Maleficent is a mother," Red added. "She loves her child so much already, we can't turn he or she evil, just to stop our own from potentially having some darkness, which we could handle."

Blue shook her head. "You don't understand. We'd get rid of the egg…"

"Absolutely not! We are not separating a mother and child, how is that any better than what Regina wants to do to us?!"

Blue sighed once again. "I had hoped you three would see the light. However, just as when you let Regina walk, your light is going to put our entire kingdom at risk. Maleficent cannot raise a child."

Using her magic to freeze the heroes in place, she stepped forward and grabbed the egg. Panic filled Snow's face and she attempted to grab for her bow and arrow, but it was no use. The Author entered the cave and assisted Blue in transferring the darkness from the Charmings' child to the egg. A portal was opened and the trio was forced to watch in horror as they sent the egg to the unknown. The Author exited and Blue unfroze them.

"You won't get away with this!" David threatened. "We'll do what we can to reunite Maleficent with her child!"

"No, you won't. Because you won't remember ever have meeting her."

With a flick of her wrist, the Charmings were returned to their palace, their memories of the past few weeks erased. All they would remember is finding out they were with child and even those were altered. Blue left the scene and when Maleficent returned hours later, she found the egg gone. No locator spell could trace it, which meant it wasn't in that realm. It had appeared that the people she had trusted, those she was starting to consider friends, had betrayed her. Tears filled her eyes as she held the single antidote in her hands. If she had to lose her child, they could lose their own.

Dropping the vile to the ground, she watched it shatter. "One day, you will get what you deserve," she sneered.

 _Present Day_

David, Snow and Ruby didn't quite understand why Maleficent was so angry with them. She had shown up in town with her cronies, insisting that they had taken something from her. They knew that under the curse, she had been a dragon, so it couldn't be in reference to that. She didn't even seem to be mad that Emma had murdered her in order to break it in the first place. Yet, Maleficent wouldn't specify. She just kept repeating: "You should know."

After a long day of consulting with Regina (who was pretending to be evil once again to try to figure out what Maleficent was so angry about), they headed back to the loft. Emma had agreed to watch her little brother. When they arrived however, they found the loft empty. Their calls and texts to their daughter went unanswered, that wasn't like her. Not at all. Their hearts began to race and they phoned Regina, who whipped up a locator spell. Using Emma's baby blanket, they watched it float through Storybrooke, through the woods and to Maleficent's hideaway.

Inside, Emma was tied to a chair, a magic preventing cuff on her wrist and tape over her mouth. Maleficent stood in the center of the room, holding Neal, smiling down at him. Snow stepped forward, drawing her bow back.

"If you don't give us back our babies, you'll be leaving here crawling with two broken legs," she threatened.

Maleficent laughed, the venom dripping from it. "Right, I am so afraid of you. I'm simply doing what you did to me."

"What are you talking about?" David asked, attempting to move closer to Emma, but he couldn't. There seemed to be a magic forcefield around that part of the cabin. She had thought of everything.

"Will you three stop playing dumb!" Maleficent exploded, causing the baby in her arms to wail. On instinct, Snow stepped forward to grab him, only to be pushed back. Maleficent smirked and began to rock him. "Shhh, there, there, it's okay."

"Please," Ruby begged. "Give us our children back."

Maleficent ignored her, tending to Neal, her eyes not going back to them. "You know, I always imagined giving my child this." She reached into her pocket and pulled out a rattle.

"So that's what you want…a child?"

"We can help you adopt," David said. "We'll do anything. Just please…"

"I don't want another child," Maleficent interrupted. "I want my daughter. The one you three stole from me."

"Stole from you?" He raised his eyebrow. "I don't understand, we didn't steal your child from you. We didn't even know you had…"

"Don't lie to me, you've already done enough." She shook her head. "My Lilith, she's been raised by others. It's too late for her. But I will start a new family, with yours. This is what you deserve."

"We didn't do this!" Snow argued. "We would never!"

Regina nodded in agreement. "Maleficent, these people may be idiots, but their soft spot lies with children. They would never harm a child. You must be mistaken."

Maleficent rolled her eyes. "So, you really aren't on the dark side anymore?"

"I'm on the side of sanity," she said, carefully. "One you need to return to."

Before any of them could say another word, the door to the cabin was burst open. Belle stormed in, Rumpelstiltskin following. Maleficent made a face.

"And what is it you want?" She asked.

"Rumple and I were viewing the visions he was able to give you," Belle explained. "The ones where you saw your daughter. The Charmings, they weren't the one who stole your daughter."

"Not another supporter." Maleficent lifted her hand to blow her against the wall, but Rumpelstiltskin stepped in front of her.

"She speaks the truth. Look."

He knew better than to try to go through the forcefield, but instead pulled out a mirror. In it, he was able to show the past. Blue coming into the cave, stealing the egg despite the Charmings' protests. Maleficent's eyes widened, as did Ruby, David and Snow's. Blue wasn't a hero…she was the villain of their story.

Slowly, Maleficent lowered the barrier. Flicking her wrist, the bounds on Emma were eliminated. She jumped up and ran into her parents' arms as they hugged her tighter. Maleficent stepped towards Snow, placing the baby into her arms.

"I…I'm sorry," she whispered. "It seems my anger has been directed at the wrong people."

Snow could see the desperation in her eyes. It was the same she had 31 years prior. She would've done anything to protect Emma and still would. "We'll help you find your daughter."

"And get even with Blue?"

The trio shared a look. "Yes, Blue is going to get just what she deserved."

Emma slowly pulled away from her mama's grip, though Ruby still kept hold of her hand. "It may be a stretch, but I knew a _Lily_ growing up…the girl in the video. She always seemed to bring me bad luck."

Regina tilted her head to the side. "It would make sense. Emma is the light, Lily is the darkness."

"Emma, do you remember her full name?" David asked.

She nodded. "Lily, Lily Page."

"Well," Snow reached out and grabbed Maleficent's hand. "Looks like we have a Lily Page to find."

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I do accept prompts! Whether it be on here, Tumblr or Twitter. I have two Tumblr accounts: just-an-outlaw and justanoutlawfanfiction. My Twitter is: justanoutlawfic.


	2. Healing A Heart

This was submitted to me by bauerfanstraten from a kiss prompt list I reblogged: 'You nearly died' kiss. Set as a sequel to "Desperate".

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Emma laid on her bed, staring up at the ceiling.

Years of living on the streets, fighting villains and slaying dragons and this was how she was going to end.

They hadn't been able to find Lily and at first, while heartbreaking for Maleficent, there were no effects.

Until Emma had collapsed. There was no cause for it at first, until there was a deeper examination of Emma's heart. When Blue had transferred all of Emma's darkness to Lily, it had lightened her heart. Just as a heart too dark could be fatal, so could one too light. People need a balance of both and without it, they could lose their life. They needed to find Lily, odds were she was at risk as well.

Snow took hold of her daughter's hand, staring down at her. Her daughter, the one she had vowed so hard to protect, she felt as if she were failing her all over again. Ruby sat beside her, fighting the tears from her eyes.

"We're going to find Lily," she assured her daughter. "Regina and Maleficent are out there looking. When they find her, Regina can balance out the light and dark, you'll both be okay."

"Mom," Emma whispered.

Ruby shook her head. "No, everything is going to be okay…

"It's not. I can feel it. I don't have much time left."

Tears gathered in Snow's eyes. She refused to believe it, she couldn't. Every bit of her wanted to track down the Blue Fairy and rip her limb from limb. It was her fault that her daughter was in her condition. If she lost her, the damn flea was going to pay for everything.

David slowly entered the room with Henry. Emma looked different, as if the life was literally draining from her. Her pale skin was turning grey and her hair was fading. Slowly, they sat on the other side of the bed. Henry took his mom's hand, biting his lip.

"Please don't go, Mom."

Emma tried to brave a smile. "I'm holding on best I can, kid."

David stroked her hair. "Is there anything I can do?"

"Just be here, I…I don't want to be alone."

Their eyes went to the monitor that Regina had set up. Emma's heartbeat was declining with every passing moment. She had magicked it so they could view her heart. It was no longer red, but instead growing to a light yellow. It was the one time that they were not relieved to see pixie dust, it was enveloped in their daughter's chest. They tried to keep her awake, talking about anything they could think of. They soon got the text from Regina and Maleficent, they had found Lily in a hospital in Maine. She was being treated for an unknown heart condition. No modern doctor could understand just why her heart was so dark. She was fairing better than Emma. With the magic they had brought with them, they'd be able to get back in no time.

"Regina will be here soon," Snow said, a smile going across her face. "It's going to be okay, both of you will be okay."

Emma couldn't speak. She knew that no matter how fast Regina and Maleficent's magic would work, it was no use. Her heart was growing lighter by the second. Gripping onto her son and mother's hands, Emma Swan took her final breath.

They didn't want to believe it when she flatlined or when the screen that was meant to show her heart was filled with nothing but light. They did everything they could think of, shook her, hugged her, kissed her. But it was too late, she was gone.

Tears streamed down their faces and they were silent, staring down at the woman who had done so much for all of them. The daughter, the mother, they barely got to know. Every regret, every lost word and moment seemed to burn harder in their chests.

Regina, Maleficent and Lily burst into the room. The latter was looking worse for wear, her eyes raging red. It was clear she was close to death as well.

"It's too late," Snow whispered, her voice cracking. "She's gone."

Regina had always wanted Emma out of her life, but not anymore. She was not going to let her leave this family, not again. Reaching down into her chest, she pulled out her heart. It shone as bright as the sun, causing the rest to shield their eyes. She then reached into Lily's chest and pulled out hers. Focusing more than she ever had, she watched as slowly, the hearts began to even out. She had to hope it would work, there was a slight chance it wouldn't. Moving the hearts back into their respective owner's chests, she watched as Lily's turned from red to a light green. She let out a gasp and looked down at Emma's seemingly lifeless body.

"Emma," she breathed. She knelt next to her. "Come on, you promised me forever."

Leaning down, she kissed her. A bright light shone over Emma and her eyes flickered open. Looking up into Lily's eyes, a smile broke across her face.

"Lily, you came."

"I couldn't very well let you die, could I?"

Ruby, Snow and David let out a large breath of relief. Snow felt Maleficent's hand slip into her own. They had gotten their girls back and never again would they let them slip away again.

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I do accept prompts! Whether it be on here, Tumblr or Twitter. I have two Tumblr accounts: just-an-outlaw and justanoutlawfanfiction. My Twitter is: justanoutlawfic.


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